Bayelsa State Deputy Governor Peremobowei Ebebi lost his job on Thursday following his impeachment by the House of Assembly.

His impeachment followed the House’s adoption of the report of the panel which investigated him for alleged misconduct.

The panel found him culpable on nine of the 10 allegations.

But Ebebi’s counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN), described the lawmakers’ action as illegal.

He said his client had gone to court to challenge his impeachment and, as such, the House should not have impeached him before the case is decided.

Announcing the receipt of the panel’s report, Speaker Werinipre Seibarugu found Ebebi guilty on nine of the 10 charges levelled against him. He recalled the process Ebebi’s impeachment went through.

Hon. Jonathan Obuebite (Nembe constituency 1) moved a motion to adopt the report. It was seconded by Fini Angaye (Kolokuma/Opokuma II).

All members present voted in support of Ebebi’s impeachment.

“The Bayelsa State House of Assembly upon receipt of the report from the seven-man investigative panel deliberated extensively on the report and pursuant to Section 188(1) and (9) of the Constitution, the House adopted the report of the investigative panel and, accordingly, resolved that Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi, stand removed from office as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State of Nigeria,” said the Speaker in a document signed by the 18 members.

Ebebi was impeached six years after he, as speaker, led the House to impeach former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha in November, 2005.

Izinyon said since the matter was in court, the panel was expected to stay action, until the determination of the case.

He said his client challenged the composition of the panel, which was headed by counsel to the Governor.

“Until the allegations against the chairman of the panel, who is a counsel to the Governor is disproved by the court, we cannot have fair hearing from the panel,” Izinyon said, adding: “We are already in a competent court; the panel is inferior to the High Court”.

The state chapter of the Action Congress (AC) described the development as “pathetic and sad”, saying “while other states are commissioning state of the art projects, the Sylva-led administration is exercising undue strength and committing public funds to purely political matters at the expense of developmental projects”.

“The impeachment saga is another conduit pipe to defraud the state at a critical moment the state is in dire need of empowerment and development”, the AC statement, signed by Comrade Miriki Ebikibina, said.

A scramble has begun for Ebebi’s job. Those to the race are Nestor Binabor, the Deputy Speaker, who hails from Sagbama Local Government in Bayelsa West Senatorial district and Bekes Etifa, who hails from the same Ekeremo Local Government with Ebebi. But a source said last night that Ebebi would be replaced by Sylbriks Obriki, who is the Special Assistant (Domestic Affairs) to President Goodluck Jonathan. Obriki is from Ebibi Local Government Area.

He is considered to be “a moderate and a unifying figure”.